The son of a Maryland barbecue chain founder was among four men who died in a helicopter crash last week near a military base in Washington state.

Chief Warrant Officer 3 Andrew Kraus, 39, died while conducting routine flight training, according to a news release from the U.S. Army. His father is Bill Kraus, a former Under Armour executive who cofounded Mission BBQ in 2011.

Gov. Wes Moore offered his condolences to the Kraus family on Tuesday.

“Dawn and I are heartbroken to hear that Andrew Kraus, the son of Mission BBQ co-founder Bill Kraus, died alongside three other service members during a flight training,” Moore wrote on X. “Mission BBQ began here in Maryland, rooting their values in service and community. Our entire state mourns alongside the Kraus family.”

Several Mission BBQ locations held honor tables — a way to memorialize military service members who have died on duty — for Andrew Kraus over the weekend, employees told The Banner.

The barbecue chain is known for honoring “soldiers, firefighters, police officers, first responders — all our loved ones in service,” according to its website. The first location opened in Glen Burnie on Sept. 11, 2011, marking the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. The chain has since expanded across Maryland and to more than 20 states.

Mission BBQ did not respond to requests for comment.

In an email shared with The Banner, Federation of Fire Chaplains Vice President John Long Jr. said Andrew Kraus leaves behind a wife and two children.

Bill Kraus is a “longtime supporter” of the Federation of Fire Chaplains, according to the email, and the restaurant has donated to the organization and provided meals for conferences and training events. Long praised the restaurant’s mission, saying the chain “gives so much back to the community,” including money to local fire departments.

Long, who also works part-time at Mission BBQ, said employees were told about Andrew Kraus’ death in an emergency meeting after the crash.

The Kraus family couldn’t be reached for comment.

Vice President JD Vance and conservative evangelist Franklin Graham expressed condolences to the Kraus family on social media.

“A great company and a great family,“ Vance wrote on X. “May Andrew and all of the soldiers killed rest in peace.”

An MH-60 Black Hawk helicopter crashed in a rural area of Washington state during a routine flight training Wednesday night, about 20 miles west of the state’s capital. All four soldiers aboard died, and the cause of the aircraft mishap is under investigation.

Col. Stephen Smith said in the news release that Kraus and the three other soldiers embodied the “unwavering dedication, selflessness, and excellence” of the Army and Army Special Operations.

“Their sacrifice in service to our nation will forever be etched in our hearts and in the legacy of the Night Stalkers,” Smith said. “These heroes were not only elite professionals but also cherished teammates, friends, and family members whose absence leaves an immeasurable void.”

Kraus served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 2008 to 2013. He later went to flight school at Fort Rucker in Alabama then served as a pilot in medical evacuation missions in Germany. He began serving in the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment in 2023, supporting training missions and contingency response operations.

Before joining the Army, Kraus worked for the Howard County Chamber of Commerce and the nonprofit Wounded Warrior Project. Kraus also served as director of veterans outreach at the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition in 2016.

“The trust that he held with servicemembers and veterans was apparent in every relationship and connection he built all across our country,” said Liz Schrayer, president and CEO of the USGLC, in a statement. “His commitment to help protect our nation was demonstrated through every aspect of his work — whether making the case for diplomacy and development or the need for supporting our nation’s servicemembers and veterans.”

The other officers who died in the helicopter crash are U.S. Army Chief Warrant Officer 3 Andrew Cully, 35; U.S. Army Sgt. Donavon Scott, 25; and U.S. Army Sgt. Jadalyn Good, 23.